Car-truck side frame



Aug. 2 1927.

H. W. STERTZBACH ET AL CAR TRUCK SIDE FRAME Filed March l1. 1925 2Sheets-Sheet l ation was Aug. 2 1927.

H. W. STERTZBACH ET AL GAR TRUCK SIDE FRAME Filed Marchll. 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 @H01 new Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY: WALTER STERTZBACH AND MERRITT RASMUS HANSEN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO,ASSIGNOBS TO THE BUCKEYE STEEL CASTINGS COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CAR-TRUCK SIDE IFRAME.

Application led March 11, 1925. Seria1.No. 14,782.

This invention relates to car truck side frames of that type in whichthe entire frame is cast as 'a single integral structure exemplified inLetters Patent No. 1,523,793, granted to us January th, 1925, and No.1,378,794 granted to George T. Johnson and Harry W. Stertzbach May 17th,1921, and has special reference to the formation of the connectionbetween the spring seat and the tension member. In the side frames towhich this invention is applied, the transverse horizontal webs of thetension members form a continuous element with the top plate of thespring seat, which top plate is relatively widened to properly supportthe superimposed springs. The wldened portion of the plate is a partofthe tension member and, due to bending, it is subjected to localizedstress at the ends of the spring seat. This widened plate is mosteffectively utilized'by keeping it alined with the web of the tensionmember. One ob]ect of the present invention is to provide a con--struction which will effectively withstand this localized tensilestress.

In `the manufacture of'steel castings it is highly desirable to avoidenlargement or so-'called wads of metal that are caused by two or moremembers meetin on a common line or ata' common point. T iese wadsnecessitate 'the yuse of chills to prevent shrinkage which adverselyaffect the soundness of the casting. Another object of the invention,therefore, is to avoid the formation of wads in the casting. Theinvention willbe hereinafterA fully described with reference to theaccompanying drawing, and consists in certain novel features which willbe particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a side frameasis necessary to an understanding of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-'3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure. 3 but showing a slightly differentembodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view showing a form diifering from the formsshown in the receding igures;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken in the planel indicated by theline 6-6 in Fig'- ure 1 but showing the construction indicated in Figure5.

Figure 7 is a transverse section corresponding to Figure 3 but showingthe form of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a transverse section showing a form diierinfr somewhat fromFigure 7.

In the drawing, 1 designates the tension member, 2 the spring seat, and3 the column at the side of the spring seat. As indicated at 4, the topplate or shelf of the spring seat is expanded laterally or widened tofurnish an adequate support for the springs, and the end portions of theshelf gradually decrease in width and merge into the top plate or web ofthe tension member approximately at the base ot' the column. In castingthe frame, wads tend to form at the junction of' the column with thespringseat and the tension member at the point marked 5 in Figs. 1 and3. 'With the ordinary construction, these wads extend across the entirewidth of the spring seat and also extend longitudinally of the frame.lNe form an opening 6 in the web of the column at the lower end thereofand thereby eliminate the wad to the extent of the total width of thelowerend of the opening, and the outstanding ribs or flanges 7 areprovided on the sides ofthe column to furnish strength to meettransverse forces applied to thel column. We -also arrange the dependingside walls 8 of the spring seat in outwardly odset-relation therebyrendering the'longitudinal extent of the wad negligible., The loweredges of the side walls 8 are preferably connected by a horizontal web 9forming a box yunder the Spring seat which may have a trapezoidal orother cross section, as long as theoii'set relation of the walls to thesides of the column is maintained. The bottom connecting web may even beomitted. This disposition of the depending side walls reduces'thcoverhang of the shelf so that it may resist the tend- 'ency to c urlupward under load. It also makes it possible to omit the outstandingflanges 7 when desired, the rqusite'strcnath in the columnbeingmaintaind by reducing the width of the opening `Gand formingintegral ribs 10, as shown inV Fig. 4'. Illasmuch asthe wad is mostinjurious atthe point' where the spring seat andthe trans'- verse .web0f the column unite, the'value of the offset formation lessens towardthe ends of the frame and it becomes to lconinverted channel form of theber, as indicated at l1.

' In Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, the extreme width of the column 3 at itslower end is somewhat greater than the width of the tension member. Theside walls of the box under the spring seat'are vertical but the sidewalls 12 of the column are offset relative thereto so that thelongitudinal wad is very materially reduced, the transverse wad beingminimized by the provision of the opening 6.v In Fig. 7, the opening 6,is less 'than the full width of the column while in Fig. 8 the openingis as wide as the box and the increased width of the column takes theform of external ribs 13 which strengthen the web 4 of the spring seat.

Having fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A cast side frame for car trucks including a tension member, aispring seat merging into the tension member, a column rising verticallyfrom the spring seat at the junction of the same ywith the tensionmember, and longitudinally extending depending side walls on the bottomof the spring seat, said walls being oli'set relativeA to the sides ofthe column.

2. A cast side frame` for car trucks including a tension member thelower end of which is of inverted channel formation in cross section, aspring seat having a longitudinal box or channel section `on its underside merging at its ends into the channel of the tension member, and acolumn rising vertically from the spring seat at the junction of thesame with the tension member, the sides of the column being otl'setrelative to the sides of the box or channel section and there being anopening through thecolumn immediately at the spring seat.

3. A cast side .frame for car trucks including a tension member, a.vertical column, and a spring seat merging into the tension member atthe base of the column, there being an opening through the column at thespring seat and the spring seat having a longitudinal box or channelsection on its under side,

the side Walls of the box or channel section having their upper edgesoffset relative to the sides of the column.

In testimony whereof, we have signed this specification. A

HARRY WALTER STERTZBACH. MERRITT RASMUS HANSEN.

